As an SEO strategy, link building has nothing to do with the spammy process it was five years ago. Most webmasters and SEOs nowadays consider the whole thing to be some sort of a Pandora’s box. According to the last survey 411Locals, link building gets awfully neglected as a strategy. What’s more baffling is that the number of participants not using link building is almost 40 percent. So, how can you put this old and once-great approach to work for you again?
Adapting to 5 Years Of Changes Will Do
Ignoring such a valuable ranking factor is inexplicable, given the fact that Google calculates authority mainly by using backlink profiles. The solution in 2016 is to focus on link quality instead of link quantity. This is the single most relevant strategy since the first Penguin update. Which leads to the second important principle.
Avoiding Penalties Means Building High-Quality Links
The successful approach to link building means that your link building campaign will take time – time you should be spending productively. And building hundreds of bad links just to disavow them if an update penalizes your site is indeed a waste of your precious time.
Always Remember the Perks of Link Building
Every moment that you think the dreaded Penguin penalty will make your link building strategy useless, remember the purpose and the benefits of linking:
It is a surefire way to increase your search rank;
You can add referral traffic simply by earning visitors with a viral post;
You make your brand more visible;
You will earn a better reputation;
Your Only Way to Boost Page Authority Are Inbound Links
The two factors that Google takes seriously when responding to search query are page relevance and page authority. Your authority is depends on the keywords that are relevant to the search volume for your niche. And the authority of your page will not climb without a substantial link building strategy.
Don’t Be Fooled by the Idea That Social Media Is Enough
Most participants in our survey admit that they prefer the social media approach. It is true that, as a work process, social media campaigns are way more exciting than link building, with all those colors, images, quick response, and seemingly endless growth. However, the benefits of social media marketing fade when they are not deeply rooted in link building and the related page authority figures.
You Should Be Aware of the Required Time and Efforts
Link building requires a high level of SEO knowledge. It is clear that the main effort should be focused on the following: researching the latest trends, spending hours on building every single link you create, having the patience to wait long before the results start to appear.
With all these in mind, you will be able to do your job as a link builder in a professional manner. As 411Locals noticed after years of experience, the hardest step in link building is getting started. You should be ready to study, try different strategies, and learn from your mistakes.